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This is not an official, formal review, just some experiences I wrote down regarding the new Longwear Blur Foundation by Lumene. The product was launched here in Finland just this month, but many bloggers around the country have had a chance to test it about a month ago so there are quite a few opinions on it already – pretty much all positive. I wasn’t one of those bloggers, so I unfortunately had to put the money in myself and patiently wait for the release. Despite not having the target skin for the Lumene Hydra Drops Moisturizing Foundation, I have pretty much used it up just because it has been quick and easy to use and it does look nice, as long as I remember to keep the shine in check. Now, I am, I think, the target market for this foundation as I’ve read that it should be ideal for normal to mixed/oily skin. Mine has been heading towards oilier lately for some reason though, which is bringing certain challenges with makeup bases in general.

The new Blur foundation (as it is being called around here) has been compared to Dior Star Foundation and at least a couple of different Lancôme foundations – for a fraction of the price. Beauty experts and bloggers have been praising this foundation as Lumene’s big hit and a favorite for the budget markets. It’s priced at around 16 euros in Finland, which is about what you pay for L’Oréal around here, for example. So, the price is not bad at all. Of course, Lumene is designed for the “scandinavian skintones”, meaning that there are 6 shades available, which aren’t all that dark. Of course, if you applied the darkest shade on me, I would likely become unreckognizable. I selected the shade 0 (Light Ivory) without even a thought.

Here I am at the office, approximately 3,5 hours after first applying the foundation – and after patting it down a bit with a tissue. Tissues seem to be the key with this foundation on my skin… It actually applied almost matte when I put it on in the morning, though I finished it off with a layer of powder. I still had to re-powder my face about an hour later, before leaving for work (yes, I like slow mornings). I lost count as to how many times throughout the day I patted my face a bit, but I tried to avoid re-powdering and only did that a couple of times during the 10 hours that it was on me before heading home.

The picture above (looks goofy) was taken about 7,5 hours after applying the foundation. My eyeshadow had clumped itself into the grease pretty well – not sure if primer would have fixed that, but I had not applied any in the morning. I do have to admit, that this foundation does do an outstanding job at hiding my giant pores. Possibly the best job at it that anything ever has done. They’re still there, but they’re not the main attraction!

Almost 10 hours since applying the foundation. I felt a bit like melting, as I did a few times throughout the day and I did look a bit like melting too as I was getting shiney pretty damn quickly with this thing on. If you are very particular about your face, you might feel comfortable with patting it down a bit every hour – which to me, feels like a lot of work. Now, if your skin is normal, however… I think you might have found something great in Lumene Blur. For me, it’s a bit of a pain in the backside, but at the same time, it does do a damn good job with those pores – thanks to the silicones. I would prefer not to apply silicone on my face, but hey, with most foundations, you can’t avoid it.

In the picture above, I was ready to head home. I had fixed my base a bit (tissues & powder), reapplied my lipstick and generally tried to look a bit less all over the place. So the base can handle being fixed up a lot at least! And it did still look pretty decent after about 11 hours of wear. In fact, despite the shine, it was still pretty much intact when I washed it off after approximately 15 hours of wear, so sure, their promise of 16 hours of wear can be believable – if you don’t mind the fixing up OR if you do happen to have been blessed with a non-problematic skin.

I have read that it’s not a particularly good foundation for dry skin though, which I find a bit surprising, because I don’t see this as drying at all. I think the problem is mainly with when you spread it. The foundation is quite liquid-y, but at the same time kind of heavy to apply. A little goes a long way too, you don’t want to end up caking it on!

I’m going to keep on testing this, because I am finding many good things about it already. The only downside for me is the upkeep it requires… I wish I could somehow combine the blurring effect of this with the great feeling and longevity of the Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation! Then I would have my perfect base… ahhh!

PS. Also featured on the post, the Lumene Gel Effect nail polish in 37 Starry Nights and a super long lasting Lumene Raspberry Miracle SHINE Lipstick in 109 Chilly Night which seriously even fades out looking gorgeous!

Today was Fathers’ Day here in Finland. I was remembering my dad, cooked a meal that he would have liked, had he been around and lit a candle for him. He was a pretty special man with endless amounts of patience and the will to help all those in need while asking nothing in return. As a father he wasn’t all lovey-dovey and cuddly, but he wasn’t by any means unkind. He was reserved, but at the same time, there was never any doubt about how much he cared for me and my sisters. He was a great cook and a great driver, full of great advice. He was very reassuring when it seemed like nothing was working out and he had the ability to make everything seem alright. He was hard-working and street smart and definitely someone to look up to. I was lucky to have him in my life for almost 30 years. I miss him dearly.

Here is a picture of him from late 1950’s. He looks very dapper. You’ll never guess where I got my eyebrows from..?

Last weekend I was approached by a rather curious proposal that came from a very unlikely source, Lover.ly. Lover.ly is a site that aims to make wedding planning simple – and fun. I have to say I know nothing of wedding planning, I’ve never had to do it and to be honest, I’m not much of a planner to begin with. I always want everything to happen as soon as I get the idea for them, so planning a wedding event for like a year or two in advance seems crazy to me, but I think I’m in the minority in this. From what I’ve heard and seen (mostly on US TV), wedding planning is often far from easy and simple – or fun. It’s often a very stressful time for everyone involved, so I’m glad that Lover.ly is working on making the whole process a bit less of a hassle.

I would say that the biggest wedding-related hassle for most brides-to-be must be picking the right dress. After all, you will be seen in that dress in front of everyone on a day that is mostly about you. Honestly, nobody seems to pay that much attention to the grooms at weddings, perhaps because their attire is always pretty similar! Wedding gowns however… they are the deal. When Lover.ly suggested I would combine a dress with a makeup look for a wedding, my first instinct was “Why me?! I know nothing of weddings, dresses or makeup?!”, though I guess I know a bit about makeup. However… after I sat on the thought for a brief moment (again with my instant action), I realized it could be quite fun to challenge myself with something like this.

When I headed over to Lover.ly to look at the dresses featured, I was overwhelmed again and wondered what did I get myself into. For a while, I had no idea what sort of a dress I could want for the look, until… it hit me! Snow White. When I got married, 7 years ago, I basically picked the first dress that was about the right fit without need for alterations or anything. I actually did not want a wedding dress at all, but at the time, in my little town, there was nothing beautiful and plus size that didn’t seem matronly. The dress I ended up with I did love, even though it did give me a slight cream-cake like appearance, in my opinion. When I wore the dress, people kept saying I looked like Snow White, even though my hair was red. Something about my dress reminded everyone of the Disney Princess! My own dress was off the shoulder, white with deep red detailing. The neckline was entirely adorned with small red and white roses, which were also scattered throughout the flowing part of my dress. It had a slight corset to it and it went along my own natural waist line. It was very beautiful! Not the dress I would choose now, but beautiful none the less. Now, I chose the dress I would actually wear, if I had the chance to do it all over again!

(click the image to go to Lover.ly, where this dress is featured!)

This dress spoke to me. This Monique Lhuillier dress is described as being ivory silk organza illusion neckline gown with natural waist, long sleeves and embroidered lace overlay. It is a rather formal wedding dress, but at the same time, there’s a certain winter-y lightness to it, due to the see-through bits that I find it versatile enough for many types of wedding. I love the belt detail at the natural waist, something that I personally would like to highlight, since I do actually have a waist. I like the cut of the dress, I think it could be flattering for many body types. The sheerness gives it lightness, the lace gives it intrigue and the sleeves and high neckline add a bit of modesty and vintage charm. It’s a dress of many dimensions, just like a woman has. At least I do! I would actually use that veil too, it is quite lovely and simple.

(click on the image to view the products on Polyvore)

As far as the hair goes, I would, if there were enough length in the bride’s hair, style it on a low, but rather full bun, allowing for the dress and the bride’s happiness to shine through! I would also add red shoes to the look for a “secret” pop of color underneath the dress. I chose two styles, ballerinas and little t-strap heels that would be comfortable enough for a bit of dancing as well. For the sake of the theme I chose, I also included a Valentino purse, because it would be the perfect choice for Snow White’s perfect day. Personally, I would opt for fake leather where I can, but of course, that is entirely up to the bride!

And then the makeup! This was an easy one! I wanted to choose products that would be both available in several countries (if not physically, at least through ordering online) and cruelty free. NYX is a very affordable, cruelty free brand with a wide range of products, so I would go with it – after all, weddings can be an expensive affair already, why blow a thousand dollars on makeup too? This look I chose can be modified to suit various skin tones. You don’t have to be as pasty white as Snow White herself to pull this look off! If you have very dark skin, I would swap the blush color I chose for something closer to your natural skin tone and same goes for the eyeshadow. The main focus of the look is on the red pout, for which I chose NYX Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo, which is a lovely red shade, perhaps a hint cool. If you need or want to use a lip liner, don’t hesitate to use it!

I would apply the blush very lightly on the apples of your cheeks and skip the bronzer – the look is about slightly enhanced natural beauty with the lips taking the main stage. I picked a slightly pink neutral matte eyeshadow that will just nicely even out the color of the eyelid and offer a good platform for nice black gel eyeliner. I would line the upper lash line thinly from the inner corner of the eye, making the line thicker as you head for the outer corner. If you want, you could make it a modest wing. Use a good couple of coats of your favorite, trustworthy mascara and you’re good to go.

If you feel like it, you can of course add to the look what you want / need, such as highlighters, primers, foundations, powders, etc. If you want and dare to, combine your dress with some red jewelry, such as the Carmen -line from Finnish brand Kalevalakoru. I wore the Carmen pendant in my wedding! They do deliver abroad – I should know, my husband ordered my necklace all the way to USA when I was visiting him!

I do hope you enjoy this little look I created and perhaps even got an idea for an upcoming wedding of yours! For me, this was a fun challenge and a delightful break to my usual routines.

PS. For a scent, I could recommend the Victoria’s Secret “Enchanted Apple” – it would go with the theme…

Here they are. My very first, much raved about NYX Butter Gloss lip glosses. Two of them. I don’t know why I haven’t gotten around to trying to order these babies sooner – after all, people have been writing about them for ages. You can find a huge amount of reviews, swatches and what not online about these glosses, but hey, I thought I would toss in my two cents as well. Of course, we don’t sell NYX in Finland for some reason, so I had to order mine online, so they were delivered from Sweden, where it is actually sold – even has its own boutique! Whyyyyy, Finland, whyyyyy?!

At least my order came very quickly, along with a body spray from Victoria’s Secret (also not sold in Finland) and an EOS lip balm – the minty one (also not sold in Finland – I think). Of course, I wanted to buy all the shades, but in case I would hate them for some reason, I opted for only two. And of course, I don’t have like 200 euros to quickly throw into makeup. Bummer. The two shades I chose were Maple Blondie, which is described as a peachy color on NYX website, but which looked pink to my eyes online, and Cherry Pie which is simply red.

I was quite surprised by the amount of pigment these glosses pack! They’re no average glosses now are they? I chose these two shades on purpose. I wanted to see if the quality and the pigment would be varying between different colors, which I thought would be a reasonably valid concern after witnessing many lip glosses simply not have any pigment when it comes down to lighter shades. My worries were quickly washed away as I applied my first layer of Maple Blondie – it was pigmented and I could even layer it a bit. Also, the shade looks like a very pinky peach to me, which works out fine for me as peach is not my number one hue, but when mixed with pink, it works quite nicely!

As far as the texture and consistency goes, I quite like these two. They feel quite light and moisturizing on the lips, very pleasant, a bit like lip balm. There’s little to no “stickiness” and they apply quite easily and smoothly. As said, you can layer these up for a more opaque look or wear them as just a bit of color and shine. The wear time isn’t amazing, but then again, these are glosses, so I don’t really expect it. Because these both smell so good, I don’t mind reapplying! On the plus side, they also fade really nicely and evenly, even if they do so unfortunately quickly (after about 2 hours, the difference is already noticeable).

In general, I really like these glosses. They definitely go straight to the top of my lip gloss favorites – if not to the top of all lip makeup! Funny, considering the short wear time. I think that NYX is definitely on to something here though. They’ve even managed to make these smell so good that they become addictive…! Out of the two, I would have to say Cherry Pie is my favorite, because it’s a great way to wear a classic red lip without looking overly severe. I love red lipsticks, but I often feel like wearing the red lip just needs a different setting than say… office cubicle. This gloss allows me to go for the red, but in a more subtle way – even if the shine is kind of eye catching!

Here are a couple of pictures of me wearing the shades (at the office). Excuse the terrible hair and just look at the shades!

I started this week feeling quite ill, sleeping poorly and being very worried and stressed out. I couldn’t eat much and I had to stick to very basic things, as most everything was making me nauseous for some reason. I have been recovering throughout the week and it seems that I’ve just been suffering from a very persistent cold. I ordered some goodies from NordicFeel, through which I was able to get a few things not generally sold in Finland (like physically sold), such as a Victoria’s SecretEnchanted Apple fragrance mist, two NYX Butter Glosses and a minty EOS lip balm – all of which I love.

I have spent some quality time with myself (hah) wrapped up in blankets and sitting around in candle light. Partly, because I’ve been chilly and party because I was looking for a cozy, relaxing time. My Click and Grow herbs are growing at a rapid pace (more on that later too) and I enjoy watching them develop.

Despite annoying, stressful and blah moments, I’ve also had many good moments through the week and once I got my appetite back, I celebrated by making some waffles and pizza. Yeah.

I have been on a bit of a hiatus from my English blog. I won’t lie, it has been good. It has given me perspective, peace and clarity – all good things. Lately, I feel like I’ve really been getting things. Like, just getting life, you know? Things make sense. I feel very zen. Sounds kind of strange, perhaps. I have distanced myself a bit about the buy buy buy and the do do do and the pretty pretty pretty. I have embraced The Moment. Several, The Moments, actually. Moments, like a laid-back, no rush Saturday morning, just relaxing in bed with both of my darlings (husband & dog), a morning I haven’t stopped to have in a very long time. The perfect bowl of blueberries in the middle of a busy work day. Cozying up underneath a warm, hand-knit poncho, while watching a good TV show in candle light.

This morning, I had one of those small moments. I had a hard time getting up and kind of a crappy morning, but during my drive to work, there was one excellent moment. The radio played Ellie Goulding’s You My Everything and the sun was rising in beautiful colors of red and gold. I quite enjoy driving and a every day I get to also drive over a beautiful lake and this morning, during the sunrise it was breathtaking. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of that (I did try to drive safely after all), but I did snap a shot later on. As far as the lake is concerned, you just have to take my word for it. In any case, the moment that song was on, the sun was rising and I was driving… I felt so good and so alive.

Hey all. I just went an entire week without posting anything here. My mind has been filled with many thoughts during the past few days and pretty much none of them have been in any way beauty or cosmetics related. Many thoughts have been about my blogs (this English one, and my Finnish one) and how to proceed with them. Lately, my time has been spent just simply unwinding, relaxing, gathering my strength and well… not blogging. I posted one post on my Finnish blog, but I didn’t also post it in this English one, which I don’t normally do. It’s because it was a laid back product review on products I don’t think are in the market outside of Finland. This is actually something I run into a lot. I enjoy reading foreign blogs, but yes, I admit, I feel a bit of a sting every time I see something in a blog, that I know I can’t even get shipped to Finland (or at least not without a great hassle and expenses). I have also been blogging about some things that may well not be available everywhere and I feel that’s a bit unfair too.

I also have to admit that I don’t really seem to have the time or the energy to properly maintain two blogs – and it’s rather annoying at times to basically write the same things twice, just in different languages. I do enjoy using English and writing in English and sometimes I feel that I can only really express myself in English (as freaky as that may be), but at the same time, I feel like at least in the cosmetics department, I’m kind of running out of material, as it were, as most products I use these days are either natural cosmetics or brands from Finland or Sweden (that are not necessarily available everywhere).

My week in pictures

So. I’m looking at you, dear readers! Do you want to read about cosmetics you can’t necessarily get your hands on? Would you want to read about other aspects in my life (and no, I wouldn’t necessarily go into gaming or anything like that!)? What do you generally wish to read about?

The autumn has taken me to the forest to pick some berries. At least if you consider the beauty department a forest and these berry shaded lipsticks… well, berries. I think I’ll be leaving the actual picking of berries to someone else and focus on these lipsticks instead! I thought I would showcase my current favorite lipsticks – and one lipliner. I doubt that I’m the only one to go for berry shades when fall comes around, but I don’t recall ever being quite so excited about them as I am now. This whole thing started when I woke up one morning and desperately wanted to pair my silvery eye makeup with berry lips. I found Lumene’s Raspberry Miracle Lipstick in 04 Heather Day that I had bought last year and completely forgotten about. It had barely seen any use. I applied it and decided that I want more. So, as a pre-birthday present for myself, I went and got a couple more…

My lipsticks of choice are: Lumene’s Raspberry Miracle Lipstick in 04 Heather Day (oldie), Raspberry Miracle SHINE Lipstick in 109 Chilly Night and Wild Rose Lipstick in 17 Iceberry, Wild Rose Lipliner shade 4 (my new purchases) and IsaDora’s Perfect Moisture Lipstick in 132 Pink Pashmina (recently acquired). All of the products are cruelty free and Finnish / Swedish (IsaDora). In the picture, most of the shades look almost identical, but they do all look different on the lips.

Lumene Raspberry Miracle Lipstick in 04 Heather Day is a richly pigmented, creamy lipstick that applies almost matte. The finish is lively, slightly satin-like, but pretty much matte. The shade is a very intense purple pink/red hue, much like very dark heather. It’s pretty long lasting (can pretty much survive a cup of tea as well) and when it fades out, it fades very evenly, leaving a bit of a stain for a looooong time. Out of my lipsticks, this is by far the coldest hue and also one of the most intense lippies I own. Once I wore it, I instantly received comments on how well it suits my Snow White -like appearance… I simply cannot have dark hair without instantly getting the Snow White -comments. But that’s alright, she is a princess after all…

Lumene Raspberry Miracle SHINE Lipstick in 109 Chilly Night is a bit like a more tame version of Heather Day. The color is a bit more pink, a hint less cold and definitely less intensely pigmented. Though it’s a SHINE -lipstick, it’s still far away from being a gloss. It’s a very sophisticated shine with a pretty rich pigment that also has a reasonable wear time and some staining left behind. The hue is a really pretty berry shade for everyday wear, not overwhelmingly strong, but enough to make a statement.

Lumene Wild Rose Lipstick in 17 Iceberry is my ultimate favorite right now. I would say it’s on the same line with IsaDora’s beautiful Pink Pashmina that I’ve loved so much, but thankfully, Iceberry is a totally different shade. Iceberry is warmer than the other two shades, but it’s neutral, not actually warm. The shade brings to mind lightly frosted lingonberries (or perhaps raspberries) and it’s quite beautiful. It looks very natural on me, just a bit darker than my natural lip color. This is definitely a shade I can see myself wearing a lot, all around the year! This too is pretty long wearing and offers a bit of a shine. Feels quite moisturizing too! As a bonus, it comes with SPF 15 and a lot of vitamins!

IsaDora Perfect Moisture Lipstick in 132 Pink Pashmina doesn’t need much of an introduction anymore. It’s my perfect nearly nude. It’s such a great, pigmented pink-y nude shade that goes with everything. After purchasing it, I didn’t even touch another lipstick for two weeks, which for me is pretty spectacular! It may look kind of dark (especially in the late afternoon light on a cloudy day), but it works well as a nude for me, because my lips are naturally so dark. “Normal nudes” always look like concealer lips on me… I would actually recommend you give this a try, if you’ve been struggling with trying to find the perfect nude shade to wear with everything.

Heather Day, Chilly Night, Iceberry, Pink Pashmina

Just looking at the swatches, both Iceberry and Pink Pashmina look pretty boring to me! When applied on the lips however, they both become quite magical! I’m super happy for the purchase.

Lipliner as well

The lipliner goes especially well with Iceberry, but it can also easily be worn on its own. It’s a beautiful neutral red shade that can easily be worn with several of my existing lipsticks. The lipliner is surprisingly pleasant to apply (I’ve always hated lipliners and thought of them as rather scratchy) and it has a decent amount of weartime as well.

What a monster name! Regardless, this was one of the products I received from September’s LivBox. Basically, the product is designed for “young skin, against pimples and impurities”, so as a woman turning 31 this week, I may not be in the target group, but I decided to give this a try anyway since I was sort of on the market for a simple cleanser for when I wash my face in the shower. Here’s what I thought!

Lumene Clear It Up! Deep Purifying Wash Face & Eyes (6,90 € / 150 ml)

Packaging: Clearly targeted for a younger audience, as all of the Clear It Up! -line’s products are super colorful and modern-looking. A 150 ml plastic tube with a very simple look.

Scent: Soft, reasonably mild, slightly fruity.

Consistency: A pretty much clear gel, doesn’t foam. Soft and smooth on the skin.

For whom: Targeted at teens, perhaps early 20’s, for those who suffer from impurities.

What do I think: I was really surprised by this product. I was expecting a very strongly scented, highly foaming, skin drying kind of a mess to come out, but instead I got a softly scented (apricot comes to mind), non-foaming and non-drying cleanser that does a great job at washing up your makeup including eye makeup (though not my extra long wearing liner). I was so sure that this would be a miss with me, being a product designed for teens, but either my skin is acting younger than I am or the product is more versatile than advertized, because I can’t think of negative things to say about this! It does a good job cleansing, but after shower my skin doesn’t feel tight or uncomfortable, which often happens with this type of cleansers. My skin is mixed, pretty normal skin that tends to go a bit oily throughout the day and this worked just fine for me!

Would I purchase: I don’t think the price is bad at all, I think it’s very affordable and you need less of this product at a time than you might think. If I were in a pinch to find a cleanser for a trip or something, this would quickly be my number one choice, since it’s available at supermarkets and it’s efficient enough to take off all of my makeup. I also enjoy having this type of a product in the shower, so yes, I would purchase this! Props on the scent!